3 things you must know about the Free just pay shipping Book Offer.
I have to say I am a bit upset and disappointed as one of my favourite marketer just sent me this line in an email( short version of it)
Hey Sylvia
Great news, today is your lucky day. Today I am so excited because I am holding the first copy of my 500 books in my hands. My book is finally published and printed, it is already a bestseller on Amazon. Unfortunately, I have only 500 books and decided to give them away for free to my loyal customers.
As a loyal friend and customer, I have reserved a free gift for you. Click here to claim your free book. Well I clicked on the link, and here it comes to fill out your details, and we deliver the hard copy of your free book straight to your doorstep. Please fill in your credit card details just pay for shipping.
Sincerely xxx
What………. I thought why writing a book than give it away and use this scam free book just pay shipping.
I am disappointed and can not believe that one of my favourite marketers would use that. Yes, I have heard about the items they sell as free and pay shipping for products, but I did not think that I will hear those words from a famous marketer.
I asked myself what is so bad about giving away a free book and pay for shipping. Why don’t they sell them on Amazon it would be so much easier to say My book is out and you can grab a copy at Amazon. Maybe I am overreacting? What do you think about that free book just pay shipping deals?
A big Loophole in the Marketing World by the so-called prominent Online Gurus.
Ok so I did a bit of research, and I scrolled through some social media, and what a surprise( have to admit never realised it ) in the News Feed of Facebook are quite a few adverts that state
” Get my free product only today all you have to pay is shipping”
Wow, I thought to myself there is a lot of that stuff out there. Now the question is do they lead you through a funnel or do you just pay shipping.
I decided to do a bit more research to see where this is going.
In case you have been tricked into this free book just pay shipping thing, then you know what I am saying.
Did you actually get the product or did they scam you with a cheaper non-worthy product?
Well, I decided I will go through and order the book and see what do I get…and is it a book with value or just not worth it.
So I went through the ordering gave in my payment details and got transferred to another offer starting at $49 refuse that and got another offer for $99.
I began to become upset as this was frustrating. But I will pull it through.
So finally I went through and got to make the payment. Shipment $19.99 special deal only today. ( really 19.99only?)
The book has arrived, and I have read the book,
What do you think …. was the book good average or nonsense?
The info in the book is available on the World Wide Web.
When I wanted to research that I could find the information on the internet. The most annoying part is that there is so much promotion inside the book every page has at least 6 links.
Well, that is it for my famous marketer short-lived fame.
So what is the Truth behind this just pay shipping …
Most of the time you end up paying between $5.99 and $19.99. Depends where they have to ship too. International shipping is around $9.99 to $19.99. (UPS or e packet shipments have good rates)
I guess that covers the production of the book. What that actually means, in reality, the owner of the book will not have a loss even he gives the book away for free he gets the money for shipping as nowadays shipping cost has come down a lot.
If you look at it from a real side, you are paying for the book. The owner or marketer makes a good Return on his investment actually. ( ROI) The owner might even make some profit from the book. ( Don’t understand me wrong, I am happy if people or marketers make a profit.
But what it really says when you look at it from a different perspective is we as humans, believe in our subconscious mind that free is worthless or say less value.
You can argue with me on that point but just think about for a moment. Say you bought two cars one car was really expensive to say $20.000 and the other is just a cheap car for $1000. Imagine that both cars get stolen. For which one you are more devasted. ( Get the point)
Selling books is a business selling “just pay shipping” is a scam
I also make a profit from Affiliate Marketing the only thing I do not like is when they start to put profit before loyal followers or customers. )
The first rule in Online marketing is you need to create quality and value for your customer or followers.
A great saying from my mentor is “To get a new customer is easy … keeping the customer happy and make them into a long-term customer that is the real secret to the trade. “
If a product like a book is good and well written and packaged with good quality, I don’t mind to pay a bit more as it creates value for me. It is an investment in my education.
Unfortunately, those books as I have just experienced are typically worthless. Most of the time the net worth of the book is not even $0.99 what you can download from Kindle or any other bookstore. Those cheap with no substance books do not yet have the value of a soft copy book what you could find in any other bookstore.
You could adequately get a better quality book from a credible author on Amazon or on Book Depository. At least the book would have offered you some insight and value.
A Marketing Tool that is creates Value for the Marketer not for you.
Briefly, I have touched that the free book just pay shipping are just another tool for those marketing companies to put their hand into your wallet. They start off small with baits hard to resist ( I am talking out of experience) then come with more and more, and their hand goes deeper and deeper into your wallet “if you allow them to do it. “
Those books are oftentimes written over a 2 day period maximum of 2 weeks. The main point lies in promoting its brand in some cases and full of advertising. The whole goal of selling those free books ( instead of creating a digital copy) is to leave you without any value. Most of the people when they buy the book they do not read it to the end they just flip through and are not aware that the book is not much value. ( Will read it later)
It is just a bait to get the foot into your door to sign you up for more expensive things.
I am sure not all of them are horrible, and I want to believe that there are still good Marketers out there. If the author of that cheap free book considers creating value for their readers and will produce books with good intention, people are willing to pay for it.
Books are still popular, and even we change to a digital online world a book is still a book. Lots of people any age prefer to read a book with real pages instead of a digital copy.
I am a big fan of John Assaraf when he writes a book I am buying it. Because I know it has been created and been written with the value for the customer in mind. I am happy to buy than those books. They are an enrichment for me the customer.
Different authors are legends, and even 50 years later I still love Joseph Murphy’s books because they have value and never go out of trend. A good book you can read many times over and over again and each time you discover something new.
Another Author is Seth Godin, or Toni Robins, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Timothy Ferris they all create quality content and they charge for the book, and if you want them, you are able to buy them on Amazon or download them in e-pub, mobile reader or on amazon kindle.
Books create value and are in the categories of education. I like to believe that books are still of importance to our knowledge and the market will not be overloaded with cheap online marketing books that create no value for the readers.
If the book is so great why don’t those Authors charge you for the book instead for the shipping pay for the book and get free shipping?
I love to make this remark: If people create low-quality books keep them online don’t waste the paper to print and produce them. Every time people create those so-called “FREE BOOK JUST PAY SHIPPING” we cut down trees and make them into the paper with no value. Consider our environment. The digital world has come so far that the creation of a book in an ebook form is easy.
Plant a tree for every book you read
Green Thoughts
Did you know that alone the USA in one year, 2 billion books are produced? To get the paper for these books requires consuming 32 million trees. We can estimate that one tree yields enough paper for 62.5 books.
Source: https://www.ran.org/the-understory
Plant a tree for every book you read.
How many trees are cut down every year?
Source: Rainforest Action Network
Rainforests across the world are in great danger. Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2016 State of the Forests report revealed that 7 million hectares of forest are lost annually while agricultural land expands by 6 million. The biggest threat to forests today is industrial agriculture production of commodities like Conflict Palm Oil, fabric, paper and logging. Only 4 billion hectares of forest remain worldwide according to Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015.
Please consider our environment.
What are your thoughts on this Free Book just pay shipping? Have you gotten or ordered some of those books and did you read them? If you did share with us what was the value …
Have a beautiful day
Sylvia
More blogs to read:
The how on Internet Marketing part 1
How to get more traffic to your
View Comments (6)
I made the decision to purchase this book, paying only for "Shipping". It is the same price as cookbooks on Amazon, but I gave it the benefit fo the doubt because someone recommended it. As soon as I clicked the purchase button and submitted my CC information, it forced me to watch a very long sales pitch for their diet subscription plan or have my order messed up. I will never support a company that uses such deceptive sales tactics by holding your order hostage, SO I AM CANCELLING MY ORDERS ALL TOGETHER. Please just order your own book on Amazon or elsewhere and don't support this dishonest company that is just trying to sucker people in by threatening to screw up their order if you don't watch their video.
Hi Aaron
That happens many times and it is a kind of marketing I do not like. On the other site, people need to make money and monetize their site or products but I do believe in being honest and don't waste people times with long ongoing sales videos. Don't get me wrong it is ok to have sales videos but always in a way that does keep the content relevant and the video interesting. Giving value to your customer is important and many have forgotten that value is the key. Lots of time people promise to much and under deliver.
I hope you have fun with your book and let me know how it turned out. Was it as you expected it?
Cheers Sylvia
Negative filters such as this blog asteroids based on values and experiences and I respect that and your model of the world. However, I have no problem if someone wants to market me to give me something of value that will improve a specific area that I am looking for. That said there is nothing wrong with Tony Robbins (a name you mentioned of high respect) with his free book pay for shipping method. You don’t have to buy the up-sells. There is nothing wrong with targeting people who need improvement in their lives. I see you’re asking for my email and website to sign up for your newsletter as I am replying to your blog... I have a choice don’t I? But do I “ By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. *
Hi Greg
It was not Toni Robbins and yes I mention his name. Why would someone give the book for free and you have to pay to ship? In the end, you pay for the book as most stores do now the free shipping. I rather buy the book and pay the shipping.
I respect your opinion and your view of the world. Things are perceived by different people in different ways.
Yes, you have a choice you do not need to sign up for my newsletter. The agreement of storing your data is stipulated by the European data protection regulation called GDPR.
Yes, lots of people want to improve their lives, but how many times the book just collects dust on a bookshelf? Lots of People do not achieve goals, Life Goals they set for them in actual fact only 8%. https://myfreedomlifestylebiz.com/does-steve-jobs-achieve-his-goals-every-time/
Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day
Cheers Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
I agree . Its all about them trying to profit from their "free" book. USPS Media Rate S&H can be less than $4 and using Print on Demand (POD) they could produce that book for around $3 depending on page count so they are making money on every "free" book they ship. A total lack of integrity. I don't follow anyone who offers those kind of "deals". And yes, some big names use that method.
Mel
Hi Mel
Unfortunately, those guys do not understand that there are more people out who think like this. Shipping goods have become so cheap that it would be more credible when they say book value $19.90 but you can get it for $9.90 and I throw in the shipping. I have unfollowed a few people because they promote their books like that. It is a total lack of integrity I could not agree more with you. For me, I believe you are what you preach, making a lot of money is great but you can do it with grace or you can go below the line. Those famous marketers have not gotten it that this fame is short lived.
Thanks for stopping by
Have a beautiful day
Cheers Sylvia